The city of PyeongChang has been elected as the host city of 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Pyeongchang received 63 votes in the first round of voting, with Munich receiving 25 votes and Annecy receiving 7 votes. This will be the first time that South Korea has hosted the Olympic Winter Games and signals the opening up of “New Horizons” for the Winter Games and sport.
Lessons learnt
“Congratulations to PyeongChang. I think there is a lesson to be learnt from their achievement, and that is that patience and perseverance have prevailed and were important,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge, referring to the fact that it was PyeongChang’s third attempt at obtaining the Games. “The three bids were excellent. Each city could have organised perfect Olympic Winter Games, but ultimately one had to be chosen. I would like to congratulate our Korean friends very warmly, and I am sure we will have great success with them in our future collaboration.”
Absolute delight
“We are absolutely delighted that PyeongChang has been awarded the right to host the 2018 Olympic Winter Games,” said Chairman of the 2018 Bid Committee for PyeongChang Yang Ho Cho. “Over the course of 10 years of bidding we listened and learnt from the Olympic family. Today, our efforts and commitment to hosting the Olympic Games have been rewarded. We will ensure that our hard work will continue all the way through to 2018 to create an amazing Winter Games in Korea.”
PyeongChang 2018 – New Horizons
PyeongChang 2018’s vision for the 2018 Games is to offer the Olympic Movement and the world of winter sports New Horizons — a legacy of new growth and new potential never seen before. Its Winter Games plan is one of the most compact in Olympic history and it offers a unique stage on which the world’s best athletes can achieve superior performances. With PyeongChang’s strategic position in Asia, and its access to an emerging and fast-growing youth market, the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will no doubt expose new generations of potential athletes to the power of winter sport.
With PyeongChang now having secured its place in Olympic winter sports history, other cities that are interested in hosting a Games can learn more by attending the International Olympic Committee’s “Bidding for the Games” seminar, which will be held in Lausanne on 1 and 2 November this year.